Organising a tour is one of the most daunting and challenging tasks an emerging band or artist will find themselves doing. Knowing where the venues are, what facilities are on offer and the kind of audiences the rooms attract are just some of the issues performers need to be familiar with. Performing live and touring, as every musician knows, is an expensive business and one that takes time and considerable effort. Which is where the AMA Music Agency comes in…

With over 20 years experience, AMA is one of Ireland’s – and indeed Europe’s – most respected talent and entertainment booking agencies. AMA holds exclusive Irish representation for over a hundred artists and bands, including Aslan, The Coronas, Lisa Hannigan, Colin Devlin, Ham Sandwich, Paddy Casey, The Walls, Royseven, Jamie Lawson, Rubberbandits, The Four Of Us, Republic Of Loose and Something Happens. In addition, exciting and hotly-tipped newcomers including Delorentos, The Strypes, Bipolar Empire, Solar Taxi, Miracle Bell, The Flaws, Dirty Epics, Fallen Drakes, El Hombre Jokes, Campaign LK and Mojo Gogo are part of teh expanded stable.
For much of 2012 AMA has been putting together a nationwide series of gigs to showcase the best of both emerging and established Irish talent. The latest leg of the tour kicks off on Friday, October 19 with The Pale at Voodoo, Letterkenny and includes bands such as Track Dogs, Solar Taxi, Dirty Epics and The Shoos, playing right across the country until the end of December. Mark Downing of AMA explains the thinking behind the tour.
“We represent all these great bands,” he says. “We’ve been trying for a much more creative approach in attempting to convince venues to book emerging talent, which is difficult in the current climate, as you might expect. To take bands to the next level is vital for the future of the industry. This approach gives performers a chance to generate
some noise.”
Downing says the success of the tours is down to the willingness of everyone involved, including the venues and bands, to take a leap of faith.
“We offered discounted rates on the artists’ fees to cover their expenses once they provided a PA system. Most of the venues are actually putting on these gigs for free. The idea is that we build on each success. We might end up growing from 50 to 100 people. It has worked well so far. There is a good chance that 10 or 15 of these acts will become the new contemporary Irish bands of the future. I have faith in the artists who work with us. I know they can all deliver live. They have great songs. If they can try and get some traction live they’re well on their way.”
Bandstand, sister company to the AMA Music Agency, provides advice with creative designs, management selection, promotion, live bookings and artist development. At this year’s Music Show, Bandstand launched a Facebook music app for labels and artists that provides promotional and commercial opportunities.
On the subject of promotion, artists and labels can showcase videos, provide gig news, photos and music samples while also enabling fans and consumers to purchase music, merchandising
and tickets.
Downing resumes: “Every time someone downloads a track you can tell how many people like an act, which provides us with an insight. We can go to labels and publishers with quantifiable figures
and say ‘Hey, this is a brilliant Irish band that’s
also popular’.”
For a group like Solar Taxi, who have just released debut album, Broken Brother’s Secret Bells, the tie-in with AMA has been vital in attracting a wider audience.
“It’s a serious help for us,” enthuses the band’s glamorously sexy frontwoman, Aisling Browne. “Mark is very organised and everything is down on paper – which makes things so much easier. He knows the venues and whether we’d be suited or not. It’s really difficult to do alone – we’ve done it in the past and it’s hard work. But we’ve been in every corner of the country thanks to AMA.”
The way it should be...